Went up to Santa Monica on Monday, April 17 expecting to drive the new Pontiac G8 and Pontiac Vibe, but Buick Pontiac GMC management slipped in a new Buick Lucerne Super to drive as well. You know the Lucerne. It's a modern interpretation of the General Motors Land Barge. We've evaluated both 6-cylinder and 8-cylinder Lucernes before and like the car. It's big, comfortable, effortless to drive. It's a car that won't turn off Buick's 72 year old buyer base.

Lucerne Super - Evolves Buick DNA

Well, the Lucerne Super is a bit different. As Engineering Program Manager Karen Nicklin explains, "This is not your bloaty boaty Buick". She's right. The car feels solid and confident at its first movement. The steering is quicker. The suspension is tauter. The engine is stronger (by only 17-horsepower for a total of 292HP). Dynamically, these adjustments result in a car that feels competent and confidence inspiring. It is not a sports sedan by any means, but it is a damn fine big sedan.

Nicklin is with GM's Performance Division. They work on things like the Buick LaCrosse Super, the Chevrolet Cobalt SS, the Cadillac CTS-V... the stuff that drivers like to drive.

So, you'd expect the upgrades on the Lucerne to be only performance enhancing. Au contraire! There are numerous exterior and interior detail upgrades as well. Super has a unique front fascia and bolder grille while carrying over the fenders and hood. The rear can be distinguished by larger exhausts. Nicklin admits to being first an interior engineer and it shows in the attention to detail in the interior: Leather padded instrument panel cover. Different material tones on the instrument panel appliques. Unique steering wheel, etc.

Give Buick Buyers the Opportunity to Drive the Best

Interestingly, the Lucerne Super is not in the lineup to bring in droves of new buyers. Its volume expectations are relatively modest at 6,000 units per year (500 per month). And it is not to drive down the age of the Buick buyer base. It is to provide those discerning Lucerne customers who want uncompromising transportation the opportunity to drive the best. Interesting strategy.

Priced at $40,000 with the only major options being a Navigation System, moonroof and chrome wheels, Lucerne provides an excellent car that should appeal to Buick buyers who want to drive rather than be driven... and may even bring in new customers to the Buick store. The car is in production now and should just be arriving at Buick dealerships around the country.

Posted by George Peterson at 02:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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General Motors has now completed the launch of its Lambda platform Large Crossover SUVs. The Lambda platform includes vehicles from Saturn - the Outlook, GMC - the Acadia (not ARcadia) and Buick - the Enclave). Eventually, a Chevrolet version will be added as well.

These are the landmark vehicles that represent the end of the classic body-on-frame V8 powered SUV. They are that good.

I just returned from a driving event for the recently introduced Buick Enclave in St. Louis, Missouri. When I got into the office there was a Saturn Outlook in the parking lot for the AutoPacific and VehicleVoice staff to evaluate. Great opportunity for a back to back comparison of two Lambda crossovers. This story will concentrate on the Enclave - a future story will showcase the Outlook.

Buick Enclave - First Drive

First, lets talk about the Buick. This is a vehicle that I have been waiting to drive for two years now. I think I have been to three events where Enclave was a featured subject, but this was the first opportunity I have had to drive it. Why was I looking forward to the Enclave? From my perspective it is a good size, has expressive styling inside and out, and is an example of the latest General Motors platform architecture.

Was it what I was expecting? Yeah, I guess so. First, I had to calibrate myself to the fact that the Enclave is a BUICK and what General Motors was attempting to achieve when they developed the vehicle. They wanted a vehicle with Buick ambiance - expressive, upscale styling inside and out. They wanted a spacious crossover capable of seating seven or eight passengers in three rows of seats. It was to have excellent ergonomics and be very pleasant to drive. It was to be very quiet. Check the boxes and the Lambda design and development team appears to have achieved their objectives.

Continue reading "2008 Buick Enclave - Top Line GM Lambda Crossover SUV" »

Posted by George Peterson at 12:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

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The Saturn Outlook is a large Crossover SUV based on the General Motors' Lambda platform. The Lambda platform is shared with the Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and also with an upcoming Chevrolet large Crossover.

Has GM Nailed Crossover SUV Execution?

First, you might be asking "what is a Crossover SUV"? For years, we at VehicleVoice have been avoiding using the "crossover" word because, frankly, our research shows that consumers are not yet using the term widely. In our eyes, an SUV is an SUV is an SUV. Our chief industry oracle, Jim Hall, always referred to Crossovers as "mongrelhalfbreedbastards". But, with vehicles like the Outlook hitting the market we've decided to use the Crossover moniker.

Basically, a Crossover SUV takes the basic SUV theme and civilizes it. SUV drivers have for decades been asking for more maneuverable, more economical, more easy to live with SUVs. Crossover SUVs are the answer and the GM Lambda vehicles are the latest examples of Crossover SUV design and execution. We think GM has pretty well nailed it.

Pricing Makes Outlook a Persuasive Proposition

The Saturn Outlook XR that we evaluated is a mid-priced model listing at about $33,250. When you check the boxes you really want - like all wheel drive and a navigation system the price slips over $41,000. When you check ALL the boxes and add a moonroof and rear seat entertainment system you can touch $45,000. For a Saturn!

While you might think that is a high price, the base, base, base price of the FWD Outlook XE (the lower model) is about $28,000 including destination. This puts it mid-way between the base price of a Ford Explorer and Expedition. Given that Outlook is about the size of a Chevrolet Tahoe - priced about $4,000 more with a V8, the Saturn looks like a good deal.

Continue reading "2007 Saturn Outlook - Lambda Crossover SUV" »

Posted by George Peterson at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

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Only days ahead of the 2007 New York Auto Show, Buick revealed its 2008 model year Lucerne and LaCrosse, as well as announcing the return of the Super trim level. Though not used in fifty years, Buick's mid-twentieth-century Super models indicated the top of the range, the most special, premium Buicks you could get. Supers appeared in Buick's range from 1940 to 1950 (not including WWII years, of course). Among them were the 1940 Super Estate Wagon and the 1958 Super Riviera Coupe. It may be a stretch to see Buick as the Super brand it used to be, but these powertrain updates give Buick top-end bragging rights among front-drive large luxury cars. (We first brought you news of the LaCrosse Super back in May 2006.)

Fast forward to 2008MY, and V8 power is at the core of both the new Lucerne and LaCrosse Super, though not the same V8. Both also get new, large waterfall grilles similar to the Velite concept of 2004 as well as the 2008 Enclave SUV for a the 2008 range that looks more like a family. The adaptation of the large, flowing grille is better done on the LaCrosse than the Lucerne, though both result in a heavy-looking nose.

OPINION

VehicleVoice and AutoPacific staffers are quick to compliment General Motors for adding higher power and higher performance models to their lineup. Adding the Super models to the Buick LaCrosse and Lucerne brings back credibility to the Buick lineup and should attract "mature" well-heeled drivers to the cars. Buick has always been the car for the country doctor or dentist or the town lawyer (probably now driving a BMW). These are cars that they will not have to apologize for, but will take time for them to be noticed.

The Management

Continue reading "Buick Revives Super: 2007 New York Auto Show" »

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SUVs are NOT DEAD - Sport Utility Vehicles Remain Top Considered Vehicle Segment

For as long as I can remember, the New York Times and eastern media have been taking SUVs to task. While many of the people writing these stories don't own a vehicle or even drive a car or truck, they have decided that the Sport Utility Vehicle is the poster child for social irresponsibility. No matter what they say, folks continue to gravitate to SUVs. We have the data.

For the past thirteen years, Sport Utility Vehicles have been the product segment that is most considered by American driving public. 2006 was a traumatic year for SUVs. High fuel prices dampened demand for large truck-based SUVs, but in 2006 as for more than a decade, demand for SUVs was highest among AutoPacific’s seven macro product segments. When consideration for contemporary SUVs – Crossover Sport Utility Vehicles or XSUVs – is included, consideration goes even higher.

Clearly America’s love affair for this Swiss Army Knife of vehicles has not waned, nor has demand by Americans for a vehicle type that can do many different things. We used to say that people bought SUVs because they can go anywhere, go anytime, go with anything, go with anybody… an SUV could do it all. Meeting these criteria – especially the go anywhere aspect of the equation yielded SUVs that were too capable. They could go off-road over rough terrain through tough climate conditions. Even though most buyers never used them for what they were capable of, they were designed to have off-road credibility.

Let it be XSUV: Let's officially coin our term for Crossover SUVs. These are not simply "crossovers", after all, you could have a crossover of almost any two products. We don't want to call them CUVs - Crossover Utility Vehicles - because that dilutes what they really are supposed to be. The right term is Crossover SUV. This clearly defines that this is an SUV based on a car platform - something not quite as capable as body-on-frame traditional SUVs. So, for now on, it's XSUVs.

Carmakers Responded to Buyers with Crossover SUVs: By the end of the ‘90s, manufacturers began to respond to buyers’ demand for slightly softer product characteristics. For awhile terms like “soft-roaders”, “cute-utes” were used to describe vehicles like the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and even the Lexus RX300. Inside the car companies engineers and designers were referring to these types of vehicles as Crossovers. And while the buyer rarely refers to his Ford Escape, Chevrolet Equinox, or Honda Pilot as a Crossover SUV, that is what they are. They are not designed for off-roading, but they are designed to provide comfortable, maneuverable, efficient transportation in the suburbs and on vacation.

VehicleVoice internet survey panel members and respondents to AutoPacific's annual Future Vehicle Survey have responded about what type of transportation they will consider next time they buy. Selected details are below the fold.

Continue reading "SUVs are NOT Dead" »

Posted by George Peterson at 09:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The Data

Through November, 2006 Minivan sales were 6.0% of the U.S. light vehicle industry. That's down from 6.5% of industry in 2003, 2004 and 2005, and as much as 7.9% back in 1999 and 2000.

Is that down? Yes, no question about it. But is it out? No, I don't think so. Despite what some commentators say, it still represents 1.0 million units per year. That's a lot more than the sporty coupe (Mustang, Tiburon etc) market that GM and Chrysler are planning on entering with the new Camaro and Challenger.

Ford and General Motors Abandon Minivan Market

As a reminder about what is happening in the Minivan market, Ford has already dropped out of the market killing first its slow selling Mercury Monterey Minivan and now the Ford Freestar. As of November 2006, Ford completely stopped producing Minivans and now are selling off inventory. General Motors has announced they are killing their U-Vans and abandoning the Minivan market altogether. This will take a year or two.

The Minivan market may... no, make that WILL... decline with the withdrawal of GM and Ford from direct participation in the segment, but that means all the more for Toyota, Honda, Chrysler/Dodge, and Hyundai/Kia. Once again, good luck trumps planning skill. Or does it?

The Lesson

It seems clear that those companies offering the best Minivans (Honda, Toyota, Chrysler) are doing just fine. Sales are good...and so are profits. But those companies offering mediocre Minivans (essentially GM and Ford) are way down in both sales and profits.

The US is the wealthiest country the world has ever seen. And those folks who buy new vehicles can afford a really good product. Yes, price (like appearance) is always important. But it isn't the all-important driving factor. Pride and prestige are also factors for new vehicle buyers. Build a product people really want to buy, and you can make a profit. Sell essentially on price, and you will find there is virtually no profit in the game at all.

The Future

The Minivan market will probably decline some, with the withdrawal of GM and Ford and the increased availability of XSUVs (Crossover Sport Utility Vehicles). But a lot of Minivan buyers I talk to really like their Minivan. It is very practical given their needs, and those that buy them (unlike those who would not consider one) are usually not bothered by the Minivan-Mom image. Two sliding rear doors and 7/8 passenger, accessible, 3-row seating are Minivan hallmarks that no other vehicle type can match.

The segment may be down (say 10%, maybe 15%), but it is not out yet. Those manufacturers that stay the course, and make a great Minivan, will make healthy profits in this challenging segment.

Credentials - AutoPacific's Minivan Consultancy

Each year, I have had the "pleasure" of authoring AutoPacific's Minivan Consultancy. This research report summarizes the experiences of thousands of Minivan owners with their new Minivans. Some are very, very happy. Some are not. What the data give me is unequalled input from the people most important to the Minivan market... the owners. Who is listening? Honda, Toyota, Kia, Chrysler. GM and Ford did not (or could not) invest in keeping their Minivans competitive enough to fend off the Japanese

Posted by Jim Hossack at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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General Motors is rolling out three new crossover SUVs that share an all-new, purpose-built platform. GM has called this platform Lambda for internal purposes. The Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia are on sale now and the Buick Enclave arrives in summer 2007 as a 2008MY vehicle. These crossover SUVs are taking on not only traditional and crossover mid-size SUVs but also full-size SUVs and minivans due to their large size and dimensions (they are nearly as large as the Chevrolet Tahoe). They do not have the towing capability of truck-based SUVs, but do have the other attributes for which buyers go to SUVs, or minivans. They have high seating positions, available AWD, and interiors big enough to hold seven passengers or lots of stuff.

Following the roll-out of the Lambda crossover SUVs, General Motors will kill their conventional minivans (similar to Ford's strategy of killing the Monterey and Freestar minivans). The Pontiac Montana SV6 is already history and its demise will be followed by the Chevrolet Uplander, Saturn Relay and Buick Terraza. Oh, yeah, Chevrolet will get a Lambda Crossover SUV in the next year or so as well.

AutoPacific and VehicleVoice analysts have been included in the reviews of these critically important General Motors vehicles.

General Motors describes their current state as an interior renaissance, and these products are examples of smart interior thinking. They include a level of interior detail not before seen from the General. As these products were developed with a clean slate, new platform, new interiors, new powertrain, GM took the opportunity to make sure they will be easy to live with.

The second- and third-row folding operations are simple and easy to use and the overall package is terrific. One could buy any one of these vehicles and spend the life of the vehicle discovering all the little things that will add up to a product that enhances and eases daily life. It's taken GM a very long time to get to such a solid package design, but they have finally succeeded.

Continue reading "A Three-Row Triple From GM: 2007 Saturn Outlook, 2007 GMC Acadia, 2008 Buick Enclave" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 09:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The Los Angeles International Auto Show opened it's doors to the general public today. For those of you who are saying, 'What a minute! It's not January yet!', don't worry. You haven't lost a month somewhere. The L.A. Auto Show opened a month earlier than usual this year. They've had the change of date in the works for years now. The old January time table had them overlapping with the Detroit Auto Show, and nobody liked that very much. The earlier show time has them in the unique position of debuting a record number of new models. And one of those models was the new Buick Enclave, which was introduced to the world (and our intrepid VehicleVoice panel of experts) Wednesday.

AutoPacific Vice President and Senior Consultant Jim Hossack thinks the new crossover could be a hit, but it's probably not going to take over a traditional demographic Buick is gunning for. Jim brings us the first of no less than a dozen pieces from the 2006 L.A. Auto Show.

Show Runtime - 1:29

Posted by Cameron at 04:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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At the legendary car-designer school, Art Center College of Design, in Pasadena, California, and with the assistance of legendary golfer and Buick spokesperson Tiger Woods, GM boss Rick Wagoner introduced Buick's next big thing. And big it is. Nearly as long as a Tahoe, Buick's Enclave is one direction for the future of crossover SUVs and people movers in this country. With seats for seven or eight, standard front-drive and optional all-wheel-drive, and contemporary styling, the Enclave has what it takes to bring the brand into the modern automotive market. The production Enclave takes a look very close to the concept introduced at the Detroit auto show in January this year (click here), to our view a very good thing.

While the relatively new LaCrosse and Lucerne have more to offer in dynamics and style than Buick sedans of the late 1990s, they follow the same, generations-old family sedan formula. It is more difficult to create buzz or change the image of Buick dramatically by bringing out a new four-door sedan. And Buick's first attempts at SUVs seemed at best afterthoughts. Buick's Rendezvous, a Pontiac Aztek-based ungainly entry, almost had what it took. Then came Rainier, a version of the Chevrolet TrailBlazer/GMC Envoy. Rainier is a decent mid-size SUV, but it launched well after its siblings and isn't significantly different from the competition.

Enter Enclave, driven tonight through a purpose-built wall by Woods and Wagoner. Enclave gives Buick a chance to bust out of the doldrums in the SUV and crossover SUV landscape with a stylish, usable, and modern entry. Buick's General Manager Steve Shannon describes the Enclave as "the new face of Buick and everything we want in future Buicks." We haven't driven Enclave yet, but it promises to offer driving dynamics tuned for real-world use. This means solid acceleration and passing power and the capability to handle dirt roads and inclement weather as well as the ubiquitous mall parking lot. Power is from a 275HP 3.6L V6, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, which should give even this heavy product reasonable oomph. Buick is hoping consumer reaction is as strong as that of the media, who flocked around the vehicle as soon as the formal presentation was over.

Continue reading "LA Auto Show - 2008 Buick Enclave: Tiger Helps Launch Buick's Future" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 10:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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OK, so Minivans aren't sexy. For many people they have a negative image... the ultimate mom mobile used only for schlepping kids to Little League and soccer. Sales volumes are down - about 10% down this year, but still roughly a million units per year. Neither GM nor Ford ever had a successful Minivan. Tried for 20 odd years, never got it right. So both have recently announced they are taking the easy way out and focusing on other vehicle types - mainly "crossover vehicles". VehicleVoice correspondent and AutoPacific consultant Jim Hossack doesn't think they should move so fast.

Maybe good Crossover Sport Utility Vehicles will take up some of the slack, but they will have sedan type doors and the utility of a sliding door Minivan is hard to beat. Only a million people a year like them enough to buy them, but those who like them love them, and may not switch so long as good Minivans are available.

Now the cream of the Minivan market are the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. Guess Ford and GM just did not have the resources to keep up.

What good luck for those remaining standing! Back 15 or so years ago when I was the Chrysler Corp. Minivan General Product Manager, my biggest fear was that a competitor would just copy our product with higher quality. Took 10 years for it to happen. Now Chrysler (and Toyota, Honda, Hyundai/Kia) are the beneficiary of just plain good luck - GM and Ford are just giving away their volume and share. What a windfall for the others. It is really hard to gain share with better product. Possible, but tough. Good luck, well, that's hard to plan on, but it sure is welcome. Heck, Toyota and Honda may have to add Minivan capacity to handle the shortfall caused by the demise of the Ford and GM Minivans.

Continue reading "GM and Ford Quit the Minivan Business" »

Posted by Jim Hossack at 02:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Which cars and trucks are planted to the dealer's floor? In other words, which vehicles take the longest to sell? Who cars? Why does it matter, anyway?

Well, while it may not seem that important to you, it's critically important to the industry s a whole... from the manufacturese, component suppliers, dealers and quite a few financial institutions. First, if you know the time it takes to sell a vehicle, you know how much it is dragging on the dealer's floorplanning costs. Floorplanning is the term for the amount it costs the dealer to finance the a vehicle in inventory waiting to be sold. If a vehicle has been hanging around for weeks, he'll be more likely to deal aggressively to get rid of it. Also, vehicles that have high days supply may be less popular. From that perspective, they may be the ones you want to stay away from.

Continue reading "Stuck to the Dealer's Floor - Inventory Numbers Tell the Story" »

Posted by George Peterson at 02:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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OK, on this one VehicleVoice is just the messenger. The Truth About Cars website has taken it on itself to identify the ten worst cars and trucks sold in the USA in 2006. Not really sure what their credentials are, but here is their press release... When we feel like commenting, see our notes following the press release writeup.

The Truth About Cars Website Names Its Ten Worst Automobiles for 2006

November 8, 2006 - PROVIDENCE, R.I.: The Truth About Cars website (TTAC) has revealed the ten winners of its first annual "Ten Worst Automobiles Today" awards. According to the site's readers, the very worst vehicles sold in America today are... GM's minivans.

For voting purposes, TTAC lumped all four of GM's virtually identical people movers together: the Chevrolet Uplander, Saturn Relay, Buick Terraza and Pontiac SV6.

In his description of the "winner," reviewer William C. Montgomery slated GM's minivans for their "antique engineering, woeful looks, cancerous effect on not one but four GM brands and their abject inability to hold a candle to their foreign-owned competition." In terms of dreadful driving dynamics, contemptible aesthetics and torturous ergonomics, no other vehicles sold in America can compete with these ridiculously-named 'Crossover Sport Vans.'"

The automotive website's readers voted the new Jeep Compass America's second worst vehicle: a lackluster vehicle that betrays its storied brand's heritage. According to TTAC's description, it's an "ugly, gangly, underpowered, mud-aversive half-breed" that "staggers into the light, turning all who see it-- or heaven forbid buy it-- into grotesque, bobble-headed morons." The Compass "stomps all over Jeep's reputation as America's purveyor of authentic off-road vehicles."

The rest of TTAC's Ten Worst are the Jeep Compass (2), Buick Rendezvous (3), Chrysler Aspen (4), Hummer H2 (5), Chevrolet Monte Carlo (6), Subaru B9 Tribeca (7), Saab 9-7x (8), Lincoln Mark LT (9) and Chevrolet Aveo (10). Capsule reviews are below.

To create the list, The Truth About Cars asked its 40k daily readers to nominate the worst vehicles for sale in the United States during the 2006 calendar year. A selection committee comprised of ten TTAC writers selected 20 finalists from the readers' nominations. Finalists were chosen for their crimes against aesthetics, engineering, ergonomics, driving dynamics and/or brand authenticity. The final ten "winners" were chosen by readers via an electronic poll.

Site publisher Robert Farago said his team created The Ten Worst awards as an antidote to the annual "love ins" provided by the mainstream automotive media. "The profusion of 'best of' automotive awards reflects the fact that the manufacturer-sponsored magazines and websites can't tell it like it is," Farago said. "TTAC is the home of take-no-prisoners automotive journalism. Our Ten Worst list says we're not afraid to tell the truth about cars."

Continue reading "Ten Worst Cars for 2006 - Truth About Cars" »

Posted by George Peterson at 05:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

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Buick announced today that it will launch a V8-powered version of the LaCrosse mid-size sedan in mid-2007 as a 2008 model. Powered by a 5.3L small block General Motors V8, the LaCrosse promises to be an excellent performer.

Shown to analysts for the first time at General Motors North Hollywood Design Studio, Buick resurrects the Super name for the higher performance LaCrosse. VehicleVoice and AutoPacific correspondants were on hand for the announcement as well as driving opportunities in Buick Lucerne V8s and the new Pontiac G6 Retractable Hardtop Convertible. Unfortunately, no photos of the LaCrosse Super were allowed at this event, but think of a tougher, beefier LaCrosse with all the bells and whistles.

With Pontiac having the Grand Prix GXP and Chevrolet having the Impala SS powered by the same engine, it was only a matter of time before Buick added a V8-powered Mid-Size model to its lineup.

Promising to be a relatively low-volume proposition, the Super will provide a halo for the LaCrosse and enhance Buick's image for performance on demand.

Posted by George Peterson at 06:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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AutoPacific staffers were all prepared to tout the new Buick Lucerne as one of the products that will revitalize Buick and help the brand regain its position as the thinking man's Cadillac. In many ways, the Lucerne delivers, but it is held back by some fundamentals and too-obvious cost reductions.

On the positive side, the Lucerne looks good. While its styling does not turn heads, the car is pleasant to look at. The interior is very spacious and the trim is well-styled. Outward visibility is excellent to the front and sides but somewhat limited rearward due to Lucerne's high rear deck.

The trunk is gigantic. It looks capable of carrying a set of golf clubs for every occupant.

The ride of the Lucerne is well-controlled and supple at the same time. Cornering is flat when not pushed. As Jaguar describes it, they would probably admit the Buick rides with "aplomb". Quietness is a forte of this big car - nice job on wind noise and road noise control.

Attractively Priced Big Buick for Mature Audience

The price is very attractive. While base pricing starts at about $26,000 for the base Lucerne (including freight), you can load one up to over $35,000. The $35,000 car includes a 4.6L Northstar V8 with 275HP. The car we had for evaluation was the mid-range V6 - a 3.8L V6 with 197 horsepower and a 4-speed automatic transmission - with a price point just shy of $30,000. All in all, this Lucerne is a pretty good value.

Continue reading "Wheeeeeez! 2006 Buick Lucerne - Hurt by Details" »

Posted by George Peterson at 01:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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In this case, the Enclave is not really a country lying within the boundaries of the Buick, but the company's preview of a vehicle to replace the Rendezvous crossover SUV (and Rainier?). Buick's replacement for the Rendezvous moves to a new platform (the Lambda platform) and will carry the new Enclave name. The choice of "Enclave" demontrates how tough it is for any car company to identify catchy names for its vehicles.

The Enclave is due in early 2007 as a 2008 model-year vehicle and was shown at GM's first press conference at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in January. VehicleVoice and AutoPacific correspondents were there to get the scoop. And while getting the scoop several agreed that the Enclave may, indeed, be the first Buick they would actually consider and that this Buick may actually appeal to other than geriatric buyers.

2006 Concept: The New Vision of Buick Style

The 2006 Enclave concept closely previews the vehicle, though it still offers a significant amount of concept eyewash. Unless there is too much confusion and laughter, Enclave is the name the product is due to wear in production. The Enclave concept focuses on furthering Buick's luxury position, with a highly sculpted and detailed design. Buick describes the Enclave name as evoking images of style, luxury, and the privacy of a quiet, protected space. The style and luxury association with the word Enclave seems a bit of a stretch when compared with the definition of the word, but the Buick concept does succeed with demonstrating images of style and luxury.

While the concept of the Enclave may be suspiciously similar to the Chrysler Pacifica, the Enclave styling is much more upscale and serious looking. Additionally, there is likely little risk that Enclave will be confused with a Minivan or station wagon.

The interpretation of the Buick grille is nicely proportioned to the rest of the nose, and moving the portholes from the fender to the hood gives them the appearance of being functional, whether they are or not. The chrome accents are nicely done and not overdone. Among the styling elements that are more concept than production is the way the front and rear fascias completely hug the twenty-one-inch wheels. More bumper would be needed for production, and it is unlikely twenty-one-inch wheels would be offered. The jewel-like headlights incorporate GM's version of cornering headlights, and those will be included on the production car.

Note: All Enclaves will have portholes (Cadillac calls them "gills"). Six-cylinder vehicles will have three portholes per side while eight-cylinder vehicles will have four per side.

Continue reading "Buick Shows Off its Enclave" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 05:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

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Crossover SUVs will outsell Traditional truck-based SUVs beginning in 2006. This forecast co